Flatiron



Feb. 4, 1936.

w. M. SCHWARTZ FLATIRON Filed sept. nso, 1955 2 sheets-sheet 1 l ll f @im Feb. 4, 1936'.

' FLTIRON w. M. SCHWARTZ 2,029,948

rFiled sept. 30, 1953 l 2 sheets-sheet 2 VIIIIIIIIIIIA l l Patented Fei). 4, 1936 FLATIRON Walter M. Schwartz, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner toProctor & Schwartz, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a vcorporation of Pennsylvania Application september so, 1933, seal No. 691,664

10 claims.

This invention relates to improvements in at irons, and more particularly in irons of the character disclosed in my copending application Serial Number 663,827, comprising adjustable means for supporting the iron in an elevated position above an underlying surface.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an iron comprising supporting means 'of the character set forth, wherein the actuating means for said support is simplified and generally improved both as to operating characteristics and to arrangement in the structure of the at iron.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an iron of the character set forth,

wherein the support-actuating means is directly associated with the handle of the iron.. y

Still another object of the invention is to provide actuating means for the support device, wherein provision is made for positive synchronization of the movement of the support elements.

The invention further resides in certain novel structural features and mechanical details hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial sectional view illustrating an iron made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear sectional elevation showing details of the iron;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3, Fig. 1;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are, respectively, detached views in perspective of certain of the elements of the mechanism;

Fig. '7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 and showing a modification within the scope of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentaryelevational view showing the forward end of the handle of the embodi- 40 ment shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation at the rear of the iron showing the details ofthe operating mechanism, and

Fig. 10 is a detached view in perspective of one of the elements of the embodiment shown in the immediately preceding Afigures.

l With reference to Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings,

; the iron comprises the usual body portion I'including the sole plate 2 and the casing 3 suitably secured to the sole plate and enclosing the heating elements. 'Ihe iron further comprises a handle 4 secured to the body I at the top of vthe casing 3 in well known manner. In accordance with the principles set'forth in my aforesaid copending application, the iron is provided at each side with an arm 5 journaled for rotation in the sole plate 2, as indicated by broken lines at 6, Fig. 1, each arm projecting at the rear of the iron through a recessed opening in the lower edge of the casing 3, and thereafter extending upwardly 5 atl therear of the casing and forwardly into recesses I in the sides of the casing. From this retracted position, the arms may be turned about their journal portions into positions indicated in broken lines in Figs. 1 and 2, the exposed forwardly projecting portions of the arm in this position of adjustment extending in parallel spaced relation under the sole plate 2 and constituting a suitable support whereby the iron may be maintained in an elevated position above an l5 underlying surface. It will be noted that when the arms are in-this extended or operative position and as shown in Fig. 2, the exposed forwardly extending portions of the arms lie inwardly of y vertical planes through the axes ofthe journaled 20 portions of the arms whereby, as long as the weight of the iron rests upon the arms, there is no tendency for the latter to return towards their normally retracted positions. l

l In accordance with the present invention, each of the arms 5 is provided on its journaled portion with a pinion 8, and these pinions mesh respectively with segmental gears 9, 9, .which are journaled in the present instance on studs IIJ projecting from a, plate II secured to the sole plate. The opposite sides of the segmental gears 9 intermesh and establish a positive connection between the arms 5 insuring simultaneous and completely' 'synchronized movements of the latter. Each of the segmental gears carries a rearwardly projecting screw I2, which screws pass through slots I3 in the outer ends of the transverse arm of ,an' inverted T-rod I4, see Fig. 6, and thereby operatively connect this rod I4 with the said gears. The upwardly projecting, arm of the rod I4, as shown in Fig. 1, extends through an opening in the rear upper side of the casing 3 and through the sub-casing I5 which embraces the upper ends of the terminal rods I6, I6., of the electrical heating coils, and connects at its upper end with a lever arm Il which, as shown in Fig. 1, projects from the rear end of the hollow handle 4. The lever I'I is pivotally attached to the handle at I8 and is pivotally connected at its forward end t0 a bell crank lever I9. This lever I9 is pivoted at 20 to the handle and projects upwardly through a slot in the top of the handle, as shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, the lever I 9 has on the upwardly projecting end an enlargement 2l affording a `thumb rest facilitating actuation of the lever while'gripping the handle 4. A spring 22 is secured at the rear end o f the lever Il, or to the upper end of tlierod I4, and also to the subcasing ,I5, and tends, to hold the said lever I'I in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. In this position, it will be noted that the actuating lever I9 is in an advanced position, while the arms 5 are in the elevated or inoperative positions at the sides ,of the casing 3. ment of the lever I9 in a`lclockwise direction, reference being had to Fig. 1, under pressure of the thumb or nger, causes an elevation of the rear end of the lever I'l and of the rod I4 and a corresponding upward oscillation of the outer segments of the segment-al gears 9, This in turn results in a counterclockwise rotation of the pinions 8, sec Fig. 2, and a corresponding oscillation of the arms 5, bringing the latter into the operative positions underlying-the' sole plate 2. When, in this position, the weight of the iron is permitted to come upon the supporting rods 5, the latter are retained by this weight in the operative position and the iron is supported stably in a normal substantially horizontal position, as

shown., When the iron is elevated, however, the release of the weight of the iron from the rods' 5 permits the spring 22 to act immediately to return the arms to their normally retracted positions. In this position, the forwardly extending exposed portions of the rods 5 lie, as previously set forth, in the recesses 'l at the sides -of the- A preferred construction of the handle 4 isv shown inFigs. 1 3. As therein illustrated, the handle comprises two elongated segmental members 23 and 24 each provided with transverse reinforcing ribs 25, which ribs are provided in their outer faces with apertured bosses 26 for.

reception of the pivot pins of the levers Il and I9. In assembly, the segmental elements 23 and 24 are arranged face to face to define in eifect a cylinder which is embraced by a cork or similar cylindrical outer handle member 2l. The handle further comprises end members 28 and 29, which respectively embrace the ends of the elements 23 and 24 and of the outer cylinder 21 and which are held in position by a through bolt 30, which also constitutes a means for securing the handle to the arms 3l` and 32 through which the handle is secured to the body I of the iron. The rod 23, as shown in Fig. 3, constitutes a spacer element for the lower edges of the elements 23 and 24 and prevents binding of these elements upon the lever I1 antthe lever -I9. It will be noted thatv the elements 23 and 24 are symmetrical as to the positions of the reinforcing ribs and of the openings in these ribs which receive the lever-supporting pins so that the elements 23 and 24 are reversible or interchangeable with each other. This materially facilitates assembly and avoids the necessity for individual dies or molds.

In Figs. 7 to l0. I have illustrated a modification of my invention .in which the pinions 8a, which correspond -to the pinions 8 of the previously described embodiment and which are similarly attached to the support rods 5a, are engaged by the toothed portions of a duplex rack 32a slidabl-y mounted in the body of the iron. As shown in Fig. '10, the rack 32a has ,in its upper surface a recess 33 which receives the lower termi- Pivotal movenal end of a crank arm 34 depending from the rear end of 'a rock shaft 35 journaled in the handle 36 of the iron. A spring 3 1 tends to retain the arm 34 and the rack 32a in the position shown in Fig. 9, which position corresponds to the retracted position of the iron support arms 5a, see Fig. 7. The shaft 35 can be oscillated through the medium of a short crank 38 at the forward end, see Fig. 8, which extends outwardly to a position adjoining the outer surface and forward end of the handle 36 readily accessible to the thumb or nger when the hand grips the handle 36. When pressure is applied to the outer end of the arm 38 to oscillate the arm 35 against the tension of the spring 31, the rack 32a is moved to the right, Fig. 9, eifecting an adjustment of the arms 5a to an operative position in which the forwardly extending exposed portions of the arms underlie the body of the iron, as previously described.

There may be other modiflcationswithout departure from the invention.

I claim: v

1. A flat iron comprising a body member, a hollow handle for said member, support means for the iron adjustably mounted on said body, means operative to normally retract said support, and manual support-actuating means mounted within the handle for urging the support into operative position.

2. A flat iron comprising a body member, a hollow handle for saidmember, support means for the iron adjustably mounted on said body, means operative to normally retract said support, a manually-adjustable element mounted in the handle, and means for operatively connecting the element and said support means'wherby actuation of said element urges the support into operative position.

3. A flat iron comprising a body member, a hollow handle for said member, support means for the iron adjustably mounted on said body, means operative to normally retract said support, and actuating means for the support including a manually-adjustable element mounted in the handle and means for actuating said element to urge the support into operative position.

4. A at iron comprising a body member, a handle for said member, support means for the iron adjustably mounted on said body, means operative to normally retract said support, and actuating means for the support including an element pivotally mounted in the handle and operatively connected with the support and means for pivotally moving said element to urge the support intooperative position.

5. A at iron comprising a body member, rods pivotally mounted in said body member and 'i .ving portions adjustable from positions adjacent the sides of said body portion to positions underlying said body, in which latter position they constitute a stable support for the iron, and means for actuating said rods including a. pair of intermeshed segmental gears journaled on the iron and respectively operatively connected with said rods, and means mounted on the iron for actuating said gears.

6. A fiat iron comprising a body member, rodsv pivotally mounted in said body member and having portions adjustable from positions adjacent the sides of said body 'portion to positions underlying said body, in which latter position they constitute a stable support for the iron, means for actuating said rods including a pair of intermeshed segmental gears respectively operatively connected with said rods, actuating means-for said gears including an element operatively connected with both gears, a handle attached to said body member, and means mounted in said handle for actuating said element.

7. A at iron comprising a body member, a pair of rods journaled in said body and having portions adapted in alternative positions to lie in proximity to the -sides of said casing and to underlie the body, in which latter position they constitute a stable support for the iron, rodactuating mechanism at the rear end of said body member, a member movably mounted in the handle and projecting at the rear end thereof, means at the rear end of said iron operatively connecting the projecting end of said member with the rod-actuating mechanism, and means for actuating said member.

8. A flat iron comprising a body member including a sole plate and a casing secured at the top of said plate, support means for said iron adjustably mounted in the body member, actuating mechanism for said support means mounted at the rear of said body member and enclosed Within said casing, an actuating element movably mounted on the handle, means at the rear of the iron operatively connecting said element with the rod-actuating` mechanism, and means for actuating said element to eifect a movement of said support means.

9. A fiat iron comprising a bodyv member, a handle for said member, support means for the iron adjustably mounted on said body, a rock shaft journaled in the handle, means for actuating said shaft, and means for operatively connecting the shaft with said support means.

10. A fiat iron comprising a body member including a sole plate and a casing secured at the top of said sole plate, support means adjustably WALTER M. SCHWARTZ. 

